The last few weeks I’m getting bombarded with notifications for sits in the Netherlands (where I live) and a few other European countries
Almost all of them are for the months July & August
I would think you all know those summer months are the time almost everyone goes on vacation including a lot of sitters
Which means listings don’t get enough applications and people keep bumping the same listing over and over
Frustrating for the HO annoying for sitters
I’m doing a two week sit in august, that’s been arranged 6 months ago by people who understand that just like you plan your tickets & accommodation you have to plan your sitter 
Thanks
@co_ri_na I would think this would have been better posted in Owner Questions, Advice category where you are addressing owners.
I am always amazed at the sits that come up with quite short notice. Often for only a couple of nights. I do wonder if there are a lot of disgruntled hosts out there that don’t get sitters.
With the newest change of sitters being able to cancel for pretty much any reason, I predict short notice Sits will become a more frequent sighting.
Same. I’m always amazed at how many short notice sits get listed. I totally get that some people just have things that come up last minute but I now see many HO’s mention a struggle to land sitters or even get applicants and I’m wondering if they just are not allowing for enough time for sitters to plan.
Many of us want to travel but have to plan ahead…whether it’s booking flights, renting a car, doing research on an area, we can’t often make travel plans just 2 weeks ahead! It’s frustrating for us also bc sometimes some great sits we’d have loved to consider come up but it’s too late - we have conflicts by then.
We are looking now to do our first Christmas-time sit as I know there are typically loads to choose from over the holidays but other than the UK and northern US states (and no offense but we’re seeking warm weather, lol) there are barely any. I realize it is very early, still, but again, those of us willing to fly can’t wait until Oct or November to book flights around the holidays which are so expensive.
If you live somewhere warm and sunny and plan to travel at Christmas…we want to know! 
Exactly! I’m poised like a riverbank heron, looking for Christmas/New Year sits. This’ll be my last year with THS and I want to go out in a shower of tinsel, to the dinging of Angel Chimes (plus, I’ve had some lovely Christmas sits). But almost nothing’s coming up, even in shivery zones - which I wouldn’t mind. As you say, at that time of year it’s just not feasible to leave it till November, or even October, to book travel. What the Christingle..??
I’ve seen a few sits posted in the Orange County CA area (suburb of Los Angeles) for Christmas already. We don’t have Florida weather, but we definitely don’t have cold weather. 
Haha! Nah, we’ve done tons of sits in SoCal and keep getting asked back but we are done w California for the foreseeable future. Nothing personal against California…lived in LA for 20 wonderful years.
Though I’d consider La Quinta perhaps if it was a month long or so sit in winter time.
We have had sits in winter in SoCal and had horrible, foggy, cold weather (I know OC inland can be better but…blah, nah).
Our repeat HO’s in Pacific Palisades keep asking but after the fires and the crappy weather we had for 2 months last time we were there…we’re done.
Looking for Florida, Mexico, MAYBE Texas, Spain, Greece, Hawaii…that kind of thing
@Jenny @Mark_B what a great & useful topic for the July “mewsletter” this would be — a prompt for Hosts to plan ahead for winter holidays, as sitters need to book travel early & the competition for Carers can be higher than normal.
Insofar as last-minute holiday sit listings being a trend, I noticed this last winter as well. I expect in some cases it’s people who thought they had a regular person they could call on but it fell through for some reason. But it also felt like a lot of the most ‘premium’ sits (Hawaii/Florida/London/NY etc) popped up within just a couple weeks of Christmas. It made it seem that they didn’t feel a lot of urgency, as they knew those applications get filled in minutes regardless.
@MerryPuppins A good idea to promote in an upcoming newsletter but make it general as Christmas in the southern hemisphere is summer holidays and a popular time for folk to go away.
That’s a fantastic idea @MerryPuppins - and thanks to @temba for the point about our friends in the southern hemisphere!
I have passed your idea over to the team, to see if this is something that they can consider.
I wonder if it might be worth starting a topic here on the Forum too
Hey Temba; fair point. Just wondering how you might frame that since we’re also accounting for the Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / New Year spread of holidays.
Maybe “end-of-year?” Is that specific enough to light a fire under people do you think? What phrase do you use in the southern hemisphere?
We often use “the festive season” which might cover all that you mention.
Maybe those HOs who submit last minute sits are simply doing that so they get local applicants? Maybe they don’t want to deal with the potential stress of someone coming from far out of town? Would probably work well enough for HOs in desirable locations and/or have really nice homes.
I’m not a Christian but I have no problem with Christmas being used to describe that holiday. Even Muslim and Buddhist countries buy into the commercialisation of Christmas, it might not be a holiday but any excuse to sell stuff is seen as good for the economy. I believe last year they were advertised as Christmas sits?
It’s not about offending people by mentioning Christmas as far as I’m concerned - there are just a lot of holidays at that time of year, all reasons for people to be traveling. New Years is one, & Thanksgiving.
Sure but thanksgiving is particularly American. New year’s almost universal, but there are some places that use a different calendar. Can’t please everyone 
I have just posted a listing for a last minute sit, it is still awaiting approval.
I gave about a week’s notice because that’s when it was confirmed from my work that I need to travel. I had two sitters, went the first person who had applied although both were great and the second was actually in the same country as me. Only to get a message today saying that the daughter had gone into premature labour. As if I would say no what ever reason the person gave because at the end of the day if they are not happy being at mine my cats will not be cared for.
However I am now left in the lurch. It’s Friday, I am meant to leave on Sunday and I have no sitter.
What do others do in this situation other than open up the application and fervently hope for someone?
I have nice neighbours but a week is a long time to ask a neighbour and it’s not the same.
Appreciate your thoughts, opinions and suggestions.
(Member’s listing is posted as a Last Minute Sit and has also been added to their Forum profile by the Forum team)
I suggest making a fresh post in your case and link your house sit to your profile and post it under the “last minute sits” category if you have not already. (I think you’re saying you did and it’s in pending status?)
Make a Plan B ASAP and get recommendations for professional paid Sitters. That’s about all you can do if you don’t find the right Sitter through THS. Good luck!
I have noticed a different trend with my more recent searches, which is listings for places I might like to visit, where the HO has not put dates, but instead on the listing invites interested sitters to make contact and suggest dates. That way the HO can then book the sitter first and the holiday to fit in with those dates by agreement.
This is what my ‘regular’ families do if they want me to sit, be they via THS or otherwise. I’ve a booking for 2028 as a wedding is planned 